Angha confirms Bundesliga switch

Young Swiss defender Martin Angha has explained why he’s swapping Arsenal for Bundesliga side FC Nuremberg citing a desire to make the step up to first team football as soon as possible.

The 19-year-old has been on the Gunners’ books for three years since signing from homeland side FC Zurich making steady progress through the Academy to become a regular in the Reserves over the last two years.

Handed a first team debut against Coventry in this season’s League Cup and with a Champions League cameo performance against Olympiakos to his name he was on the cusp of the first team squad without giving Arsene Wenger a selection headache.

“It was not about leaving England,” Angha told German publication 20 Minuten of his decision to leave the Emirates.

“The aim was to find a club where I can play regular professional football and develop myself. I believe I found that with Nuremberg and I’m looking forward to the Bundesliga.

“We’ve been in contact for months. The people here in Nuremberg really made me understand how much they wanted me. The conditions for playing are good here although it is of course up to me to achieve.

“I feel ready for professional football, but when I look at Arsenal I see no opportunity to play 20 Premier League games.”

It’s believed Angha has signed a 4-year deal with Nuremberg with Arsenal receiving in the region of £300,000 compensation having played a part in his development.

As Arseblog Newsreported earlier in the week fellow Academy youngster Kyle Ebecilio looks set to join Angha in leaving Arsenal this summer.

Both PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente are believed to have made contact with the player while clubs in Germany and Belgium also sniffing around. With an agent obviously eager to tout out his client the latest sides linked with the young Dutchling include former club Feyenoord, Anderlecht and Premier League duo Swansea and Fulham.

It is not the first time that a talented young player has left Arsenal. Fans want to see new signings every year to bolster the team, which makes it very difficult for the Academy players to make the cut to the senior team. These kids want to play and Arsenal really do not do anything to stop them from leaving. There should be at least 2-3 players coming into the first team every year. if they cannot fulfil their promise, they can be sold. Whats the point in having 40 players in the academy when only 4 or 5 will make it to the first team.

There are really no real defenders coming from the Academy at Arsenal. Angha promised a lot, so did Bartley. And both have been sold.

Kyle Bartley has had a mid-table decent season at Swansea. He would not have made the grade at Arsenal. The Academy should always provide promising alumni to make into the first team and we have absolute proof of how successful this has been – Wilshere, Gibbs, etc. Bartley would not have made the cut, and Angha saying he doesn’t look like he would get game time here is probably for a similar issue. Gnabry got an appearance or two, so did Miquel. We have promising youngsters on loan, which means we’re investing them for the first team, like Campbell at Betis. There’s really no validity, in my opinion, to claiming that Arsenal does nothing to keep their talent. Players from the academy will, thankfully, not get preferential first team time for Arsenal FC, and I think, especially considering the fans’ collective ambition, that this is a good thing.

The point of the academy is to produce first team players. If 10 percent or so makes the cut to become first team players i think that’s terrific. Is the number as high as 10 percent though? I doubt it.

Can’t really blame a talented youngster like Angha wanting regular first-team football in a decent league. That is what a player of that age needs to develop into a top-flight player. The risk of staying is to become another Bendtner, with your career dissipating on the fringes of the first-team squad. Better to make your mark at a mid-tier club and hope that a top club will then come for you. The shame for us is that Angha was highly regarded within the club as one who would likely make it into a first-team regular. It would be nice to think that we have first right of refusal when his contract at Nuremberg runs out or it decides to sell him. Selling with a buy-back clause might be a better system than loans for developing our younger players.